The UN Should Prioritize Saving of the Oceans from Pollution

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The UN Should Prioritize Saving of the Oceans from Pollution
Introduction
Problem Description
Oceans are among the core life supporting systems on earth, contributing to approximately 97% of planet’s livable habitats. Additionally, they form an ecosystem for up to 700,000 species. Furthermore, 50% of the oxygen used by man originate from the ocean, as well as occupying a central position in the hydrological cycle (UNESCO). The facts prove that oceans are a vital source of food, enjoyment, jobs through coastal tourism, human health and the general existence of other life forms. However, scientists predict that with the growing wave of marine pollution, oceans are likely to be extinct in the next decade. Oceans depend on rain, rivers and lakes as the distributaries that feed them with water. Pollution of water bodies sources leads to acidification and climate change, which reduce water levels in the sources and significantly reduce ocean levels, thus endangering the life forms that depend on the oceans.
Saving oceans should be on the top of the UN’s environmental protection list, considering that oceans are the backbone of the manufacturing industry, aquaculture, fisheries, mining, river damming, harbor and port development, water transport, coastal tourism and agricultural practices. There is a growing number of dead zones or the hypoxic oxygen deprived areas globally that are attributed to agricultural runoff and sewage outfalls, responsible for increased nutrient levels in oceans. According to the UN report, there are currently 500 dead zones globally, estimated to be 245, 000 square kilometers, a size which is equal to the UK surface area (UNESCO). If the size of the global dead zone increases, there are high chances of oceans facing extinction, and consequently endangering the ecosystems and life forms. Ocean protection from pollution should be made a priority globally by the UN and other environmental protection organizations.
Causes of Ocean Pollution
Any form of pollution, such as plastics, chemicals, glass and other pollutants disposed in rivers and streams ends up in the oceans. 80% of the global marine pollution is attributed to untreated sewage, agricultural chemicals, plastics, and other elements carried by surface runoff (UNESCO). The other leading cause of ocean pollution is human activities, represented by deforestation and poor agricultural practices, increased overdependence on fossil fuel and use of chemicals in farming. Inland pollution of the oceans also occurs in the form of climate change, which results in encroachment of desert conditions, reducing the amount of rain and water in the streams, rivers, and lakes, which are the chief source of ocean water (National Research Council 19). The human activities that occur in the ocean and coastal communities affect oceans directly, but, a small percentage of ocean pollutants occur in the oceans and nearby areas, the majority of pollutants originate from the air and land pollutants which take place miles away from ocean waters. In a nutshell, the primary causes of ocean pollution include sludge and sewage, acid rain, air pollutants, industrial wastes, pesticides and agricultural runoff, plastics and othe...